The Witch’s Daughter

by Paula Brackston

In Wessex, England in 1628, Bess Hawksmith’s mother is tried and hung as a witch. Poor and alone in the world, the only hope Bess has of surviving the lynch mob that will focus on her next is to become a witch herself. That means making a bargain with the mysterious and dangerous warlock, Gideon Masters. The price of that bargain and the choice to accept a witch’s powers come to haunt Bess through the decades, all the way to modern times where Bess finds an unexpected apprentice. The story alternates between first-person journal entries in the present day, and focused third-person memories from the past, and for the most part is well-written. Bess herself is likable, and as a reader I was sympathetic to her situation. And overall, it was an enjoyable read. I did have two beefs with this book, though. The first was the antagonist, aforementioned Gideon Masters. He was very one-dimensional. He seemed to have been written only to give Bess something to strive against, and it’s never clear exactly what he wants from her. Sex? Her life? Her soul? It’s very murky. The second beef I had with this book is how quickly things wrapped up at the end and how out of nowhere the method of that wrapping up was. It was neither satisfying nor entirely believable given that there had been no mention at all of this method & accompanying details until the end. I have no idea if this is meant to be the start of a series, but I almost hope there’s at least one more book just to give that ending a bit more resolution. But again, overall, not a terrible read. Entertaining and well-paced.

I give it 3/5 stars.